


Grounded

by BabyBoomBoom0029



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff, Love, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:02:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26532562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabyBoomBoom0029/pseuds/BabyBoomBoom0029
Summary: When Bobby's mind fills with the worst thoughts, when the call goes bad, when the world turns dark, he needs help from the one person that can set his feet back on the ground.
Relationships: Athena Grant/Bobby Nash
Comments: 12
Kudos: 37





	Grounded

Athena stood in the kitchen at Station 118. Her husband and his crew were out on a call at the moment leaving the firehouse mostly empty. No one batted an eye when the Captains wife strolled in with bags of groceries. Harry was at his Dad's for the night and May was sleeping over a friends house. With Athena still not back to work she found herself at the firehouse more and more these days. While her arm had physically healed and her body was ready to go back to work, her heart and mind weren't. She and Bobby had many long talks about why she wasn't ready to go back to work. Bobby had tried to be supportive saying she'd be back in no time. Yet, it only led to guilt, fear and shame for Athena. It finally boiled over one night when Bobby casually mentioned he knew Athena was happy with the news of her healing body because he was sure she was bored at home with nothing exciting to do. In hindsight he was trying to be supportive. Make sure she knew he was okay with her going back to work. He had been trying to keep her confidence up and hope alive that she was going to be okay. Only at the time it didn't feel like that. It felt like he was pushing her. Suffocating her. Athena blew up at him, in front of both kids, at the dinner table. Bobby was stunned to see his wife explode like that. When she stormed off to their bedroom he apologized to the kids. May, always being wiser beyond her years, shrugged her shoulders and said she'd clean up the table with Harry and take him out for ice cream so her step-dad and mom could talk.

When Bobby found his wife on their bed staring at a picture of the two of them he was afraid there was more to her outburst than he first thought. They talked for hours. About how Athena didn't trust herself anymore. How she was so angry for not remembering firing her weapon. How she was angry that she scared the hell out of her family. That she wasn't sure she would ever be ready to return to the force. Bobby silently let her get her thoughts out, then apologized for pushing. He hadn't realized his words, he thought were so encouraging and helpful, were doing more harm than good. He hadn't mentioned it to her again with the exception of when Elaine stopped by the house or the trail came and went. With all the extra time on her hands and her desperation to do something she found herself mothering the firehouse. She cooked so much food she forced leftovers on Buck and Eddie. She even found out that Christopher's school was having a bake sale to raise money for accessible playground equipment and sent in enough baked good to feed the greater LA area. After finding out that Maddie was pregnant, Athena took up knitting. She had learnt when she was a child and somehow lost the hobby over the years. After starting a blanket for Chim and Maddie's baby she realized how relaxing it was for her. She even did some studying with Hen and quizzed her when they had time at the firehouse. Her life might not be as exciting as it was when she chased bad guys and flew around the city running code but it was enough. It was more than she could have hoped for after her attack and exactly what she needed.

Athena chopped the vegetables while her thoughts drifted to her husband. Her rock. Her support. Her love. No matter how many times she woke him up with her whimpers in the middle of the night. No mater how many times she called just to check in on him. Or stopped by unexpectedly. He took it in stride. He held her. Reminded her that she was strong, brave, powerful. That it didn't matter what she chose in her career that he would love and support her no matter what. He voiced his opinion and was sure to remind her that it was just his opinion and she was the one with the power to chose whatever she wanted. Because in the end all Bobby ever wanted was Athena to be happy.

* * *

"Cap!" Hen yelled over the roaring blaze, "We've got the wife and kid trapped on the second floor!"

"Buck, Eddie!" Bobby quickly shouted, "Let's go! Double time!"

Buck and Eddie ran into the raging inferno that was quickly overtaking the residential house. Bobby was behind them with Hen bringing up the end while Chim worked on the husband that got out of the house first. As Buck and Eddie burst through one side of the second floor, Bobby and Hen took the other.

"LAFD!" Bobby hollered, "LAFD can you hear me!?" The house was quickly becoming unstable. Bobby had to find the wife and kids. He had to get them to safety. He knew how bad this could end. He wasn't going to let it happen again.

Hen tossed debris out of her way, "I got something!" She didn't stop pulling at bits of the walls and roof until she uncovered the badly burned wife, "Ma'am! Can you hear me?!" She shouted praying for a miracle.

"Get her out of here! I'll find the kid!" Bobby patted Hen's shoulder as she picked up the woman. Hen quickly exited the house with her mind on one thing. Saving the woman's life. Bobby heard Buck and Eddie still searching for the kid. The house groaned as the roof started to collapse. He met up with his men in the hallway.

"We can't find the kid Cap!" Buck shouted.

"This house is going to go any second!" Eddie looked up at the flames licking the roof.

Bobby was about to shout orders when the three men heard a loud cry, "Let's go!" Bobby was the first to run towards the sound. He was appalled when he saw the small child locked in a kennel. This turned the fire into a much more sinister disaster than a routine house fire, "It's okay! We're going to get you out of there!" Bobby ran over to the kennel praying e could get it open. When he saw the lock his heart leapt to his throat, "Buck, Eddie, we gotta get this kid out of here."

"On it!" Buck swung the fire axe with precision hitting the metal lock at the right angle to break it. The lock clattered to the ground as Bobby reached into the kennel to pull the child into his arms. The three men made it out of the house with mere seconds before it came crumbling to the ground.

* * *

Bobby still had his hands clasped with his head bowed when they brought the trucks back to the firehouse. Once the wife and kid were on their way to the hospital Bobby found out the fire was started by the husband. He got angry at his wife and they had a fight. Hours later the wife woke up to a house on fire and her body doused in gasoline. The husband was already outside watching it burn. That explained the almost non-existent injuries to his body. The wife wasn't expected to survive and the fourteen month old baby didn't have a strong chance either. The man tried to kill his wife and child because they had an argument about her working after the baby turned a year old.

Buck hopped out of the engine, "Something smells great!" He looked up towards the kitchen. Bobby was an amazing cook but Athena always had that special warmth in her food. He wondered if it was because she was a mom. Not that Bobby wasn't a dad but it was different.

"Yeah it does. Hey Cap. You expecting someone?" Hen smirked knowing her best friend was whipping up a mini-feast in the kitchen.

"When is he not expecting someone these days?" Chim asked, "I don't think we've gone more than a day or two without Athena's cooking."

Eddie pulled out his phone to send a text to Christopher. His usual routine when it was getting close to Chris' bedtime, "She can come cook every day. Chris is loving the leftovers. Except when it prevents him from pizza night." He laughed.

"The leftovers are definitely helping when it comes to long nights with the kids, Karen, and studying." Hen said as she started to go over the inventory in the ambulance, checking off what they needed to replace before another call came in.

Bobby ascended the stairs two at a time. His mind swirling with thoughts of Marcy, Brook, Bobby Jr, the wife and small baby that would die at the hands of a sick twisted man, Athena, Harry, and May. His heart felt tight as the need to see his wife grew. Bobby didn't waste a second. He held his helmet in his hand as he got to his wife as quickly as possible. He was a blessed man. He never thought he'd find love again. Never thought he deserved to find love again until Athena walked into his life and straight to his heart.

"Bobby." Athena barely had time to breathe his name before being swept into his embrace.

Bobby crushed his lips against hers, holding her tightly against him. Athena grinned into the kiss. Every so often Bobby would come home from a bad night and need nothing more than to hold her in his arms. She'd asked him about it once after a particularity bad shift and he told her that he saw so many people at their worst, dying, begging to see a loved one just one more time, that he never wanted her to feel like they weren't connected. He never wanted to be in a position where he'd regret saying goodbye to her before work. When he came home he wanted to make sure she knew how grateful he was to come home to her and how thankful he was every day that she was beside him.

Athena wrapped her arms around her husband's neck pulling him impossibly closer. He smelled like smoke, gas, burnt wood, and something that was just the scent of Bobby. Something that Athena felt deep in her soul every time he was near. She could never quite put her finger on it but it was uniquely the scent of her husband that made her feel at peace. Athena gasped for breathe between kisses, earning a soft moan to slip past her lips.

"Damn Cap!" Buck shouted from below.

"You two need to get a room!" Hen grinned. She was so happy for her best friend. After everything that happened with Michael and how unhappy she was, Hen was ecstatic to see Athena so in love.

Chim poked his head out from the locker room, "At least they're not running off with the firetruck." He quipped.

"Hey hey! C'mon now." Buck grinned. It had been a long time since he used the truck to get laid.

Eddie laughed, "You used the firetruck to get laid?"

"I was going through some things." Buck tried to defend himself.

Hen snorted a laugh, "Puberty?" She teased earning a laugh from Chim and Eddie. The four headed up the stairs to the kitchen. "Thena, what do you got cooking in here?" Hen strolled over to the stove to stir whatever was in the closed pot.

Athena pulled her head away from her husband just slightly, "Chowder." She replied to her friend. She turned her attention back to Bobby when she felt his hand on her cheek, "Bad call?" She asked.

Bobby nodded his head, "Husband deliberately lit the house on fire with his wife and baby inside after an argument. Left them for dead. We go them out but it doesn't look good for either one."

"Oh baby." Athena burrowed deeper into his embrace, "I'm sorry."

Bobby brushed a stray hair from her eyes, "I love you."

"I love you too." Athena smiled wide.

The two stayed in each others arms while the 118 family worked around them to set the table and get the food plated. Bobby sat down at the head of the table as usual with Athena to his right. His hand holding hers tight while the table filled with chatter from everyone. Shouts of thanks were sent up to Athena along with Buck declaring this chowder could rivel Bobby's. The station hit a stroke of luck. They were able to eat a whole meal and not hear the bell ring until they were finishing up.

"I got to go." Bobby pulled Athena close.

"Take care of yourself out there Captain Nash." Athena grinned before kissing him.

"Call me when you make it home safe." Bobby half asked, half commanded. He knew he sounded like an overprotective fool. Athena could take care of herself. He wasn't worried about her being able to stay safe. He just liked to have the confirmation that she was home safe and sound while he was out keeping saving the lives of other peoples loved ones.

"Always." Athena kissed him again. She handed Bobby his helmet, watching in awe as he and the 118 hopped into their truck and were racing towards another emergency.


End file.
